Ohio personal injury: Whiplash can have significant consequences

Anyone, in Ohio or elsewhere, who has ever been involved in a rear-end auto collision has likely experienced some form of neck and back pain from a whiplash injury. For some, these are issues that will clear up on their own with rest and over-the-counter pain medication. For others, chronic pain may require extensive medical procedures to treat. Regardless, this type of personal injury can affect one’s life in a variety of ways.

What causes a whiplash injury? Whiplash may result from any event during which one’s neck is swiftly forced in a forward then backward movement. Such a movement will damage the soft tissues in the neck which can cause a person to experience:

Headaches

Stiff neck

Dizziness

Pain

Nerve damage

In order to diagnose whiplash, a medical provider will ask questions about how the injury occurred and will perform a physical exam. If necessary, imaging tests such as an X-ray, MRI and/or CT scan will be ordered so that one’s physician can get a better look at the injured area. Depending on the severity of the injury, common treatments include:

Neck stabilization

Pain medication

Rest

Surgery

Sadly, it does not take much for a whiplash injury to interfere with one’s daily life. The physical, financial and emotional toll of such a personal injury can be significant. As such, Ohio residents who are victims of rear-end auto accidents may seek compensation for their losses. An skilled attorney can assist in filing and litigating any applicable civil claims in an effort to recover monetary damages.